Game ManagementAppropriate Interaction

Between Officials & Coaches

2015-2016

Managing the coaches box is just one element of Game Management.

• History The coaching box was put in for coaches to further communicate with their players. It is designed to assist coaches in communicating with players on the court. Page 18 under “Team Bench Locations and Coaching Box” of NFHS Rules By Topic.

• Misapplication

Enforcement has been inconsistent. This document will provide tools for your toolbox in dealing with coaches.

Current reality Preliminary Enforcement (December 2015)

Regular Season Enforcement (January

2016)

Schools that have no painted

coaching box

Inconsistent…from no box, tape on floor, use of lines, number of chairs

Have game management in consultation with officials create a box. If game management refuses, play the game without a box. Regardless, officials shall contact their assigner and assigner contacts WIAA.

Unless there is a designated coaching box, play the game and both coaches must abide by the head

coaches rule with no box. Notify assigner.

Coaches who are out of the box coaching

Mainly being ignored with

the justification that the coach

is “just coaching”

Point out to the coach that he/she is out of the box and direct the coach to abide by the coaching box guidelines. Do not answer questions when out of the box.

After a warning, technical foul to a coach that is

clearly and completely out of the box.

Coaches who are out of the

box complaining

Mainly being ignored unless they are being condescending

One warning. Subsequent violations are a technical foul.

Technical foul.

Negative or crowd-inciting

gestures in the box

Usually ignored or downplayed

by officials

Action and reaction to gestures may be criteria for a technical

foul.

Technical Foul

Negative or crowd-inciting

gestures outside of the

box

Usually ignored or downplayed

by officials

Technical foul Technical foul

Current reality Preliminary Enforcement

(December 2015)

Regular Season Enforcement

(January 2016)

Coaches who habitually ask questions while

remaining within the coaching box.

Officials are responding to all questions with no awareness of perception

and no boundaries

Inform the coach that the amount of interaction is

distracting from the officiating

After warning, technical foul.

Coaches who habitually ask questions while out

of the box

Consistently responding to all kinds of questions and justifying calls or no

calls

Do not answer questions when a coach is out of the

box. One warning. Subsequent violations are

a technical foul.

Technical foul.

A coach enters the floor to talk to officials during

a time-out.

Officials address the coach and sometimes they walk the coach back to coaching box

Officials walk the coach back to the

bench/coaching box and let the coach know this is not the appropriate time

to have a discussion. Warning if necessary.

Request the coach to go back to their

bench/coaching box, if coach does not

comply - technical foul

An assistant coach complains about calls, stands (in or out of the box) to coach players or enters the floor during a

time-out.

Officials are often treating an assistant as

if they are the head coach.

Inform the head coach that the assistant coaches are not allowed the same

privileges as head coaches. One warning.

Subsequent violations are a technical foul.

Technical foul.

• We need buy-in from you and your groups. If your leaders buy-in, this will succeed.

• If we don’t start working on this in December, we will have no chance in January.

• What coaches do in the box allows officials to have a little latitude. Out of the box behavior removes the gray area (no latitude in January).

• A single technical foul does not disqualify a coach. Would you rather have the coach roaming and criticizing all night or seated?

• RTO observations will include feedback on coaching box management when applicable. Officials who consistently refuse to manage the coaching box properly will fail the RTO observation and will be ineligible for postseason. 

• The need for the enforcement of the coaching box also helps and contributes to the recruitment and retention of officials. In all surveys conducted, the main reason for officials leaving officiating or not starting is the behavior of coaches.